


Save it For a Rainy Day

by asphaltcowgrrl



Category: Common Law
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-14
Updated: 2015-09-14
Packaged: 2018-04-20 19:18:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4799246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asphaltcowgrrl/pseuds/asphaltcowgrrl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wes wakes up in the pre-dawn thinking about all he’d lost.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Save it For a Rainy Day

_Gonna take this heartbreak and tuck it away_

_Save it for a rainy day_

 

If queried, Wes wouldn’t have been able to say exactly what woke him from his slumber, but what he did know was that it left him feeling uneasy.  Disrupted.  Alone.  Stretching his muscles, he automatically reached for the body on the other side of the mattress and found it empty. 

His fingers jerked away from the cold cotton sheets and he winced at the reminder that Travis wasn’t sharing his bed any longer.  Even after nearly three weeks, Wes still forgot.  One would think that, after a certain point, he’d begin to remember he was sleeping by himself and that the pain and shock would lessen, but so far, it hadn’t. 

It had actually gotten worse. 

Wes pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, breathing deeply and reminding himself that Travis had only asked for some space – a little time off from the relationship – and not ended it outright.  Although, if he were asked, and not that he had been, it absolutely felt like it was over.  

_“Things are moving too fast, Wes.”  Travis held up his hands, palms out, stymying any response for a moment.  “And yeah, I know how dumb that sounds coming from me.  But hear me out.”_

As much as Wes hadn’t wanted to, he cared about Travis too much not to do as he was asked.  So, Wes listened to everything Travis had had to say that night, every last hurtful word, and was eventually left to fend for himself.  By himself.  Although Marks had made some very valid points – mostly surrounding his lack of experience in dealing with actual relationships – Wes still felt like he was being let down easy so that it wouldn’t decimate him later when the real decision had been made.  Or admitted to.

Travis had been wrong about that.

Forcing himself out of bed, Wes walked over to the glass door leading to his small balcony.  The view of Los Angeles he got from his hotel wasn’t exactly magnificent, but it was something to distract him at times like this.  Pulling the curtain back, he was met with dark grey skies and water running down the exterior of the glass.  Unlocking the door, he slid it open and stepped outside, sheltered from the downpour by the balcony above him.  Wes took a deep breath and stepped towards the edge, loving the cool breeze on his bare skin, reveling in the sharp bite of the icy rain. 

Travis promised they’d work this out, that they weren’t through quite yet.  But every day when he saw Marks at the station, his one-time boyfriend refused to meet his eyes.  That Travis couldn’t hold his gaze worried Wes, but he kept repeating Marks’ last words over and over, a mantra to keep the heartache at bay. 

_“This isn’t forever, Wes.  It’s only for now, until I can get my head on straight.”_

Leaning out over the railing, Wes allowed the pre-dawn shower to drench his unruly blond hair.  Nothing short of a typhoon, however, could ever tame that cowlick of his.  A smile flittered across his face as he remembered the first time Travis had experienced the full force of Wes’ morning after bed head. 

_“What the hell’s with your hair, blondie,” Travis asked as he tugged on one wild lock that stuck out and upwards from the top of Wes’ skull.  “It’s a little crazy, but I like it.”_

Wes had known from the start that getting involved with his partner was a bad idea, but there was something magnetic about Travis that pulled him in, gave him no other recourse but to jump in with both feet and make a fool of himself.  Because of this, Wes also knew that he had no right to let his hurt show or take it out on Travis.  He had, after all, known ahead of time that this wasn’t going to end well.  Damn him and his all-too knowing brain. 

There was something cleansing about the rain.  Wes could feel the tension leaving his shoulders as drops of water crashed into his skin.  Leaning farther out over the railing – but not far enough to be risky – Wes exposed as much of his bare upper half to the elements as he was able.  Closing his eyes, he relaxed into the sensations of the breeze, the rain, and the sudden warmth at the small of his back.  Startled out of his reverie by the unexpected touch, Wes’ eyes flew open, searching. 

“Relax, baby,” Travis said, voice soft.  “It’s only me.”

A frightened laugh shuddered out of Wes and he slumped against the railing, back still to Traivs.  “You scared the daylights out of me.  I was alone and thinking and…”

The side of Travis’ mouth quirked up into a smile.  “And then I touched you like the jackass I am without warning you.”

“Something like that,” Wes said, finally turning to face his boyfriend.  “Make some noise next time.  Spare me the heart attack.”

Travis’ half-smile evolved into a full thousand watt Marks special in three point two seconds.  “I called your damn name twice man, what more do you want from me?”

Between the smile lighting Travis’ eyes and the humor lacing his words, Wes knew he wasn’t angry.  Relief flooded him, followed quickly by sadness and desperation.  “You’re here to say good-bye to me, aren’t you?”

“Why on earth would you think that, Wes?”  Travis shook his head, looking out across the rain-soaked city. 

Wes shrugged, unsure if he could say what he was thinking.  “Because you’re here and it’s way too early for you to be out of bed.”  In a way, it was true.  Nothing short of a catastrophe could get Travis Marks out of bed before dawn. 

“That’s some pretty faulty logic coming from the most logical man I know,” Travis pointed out.

Something that Wes had learned since getting involved with his partner was that being in love made a man illogical at best, completely stupid at worst.  “Maybe,” Wes said, unwilling to look at that handsome face he knew so well.  “But you have to understand, we haven’t really been alone together since…” _the last time you were here_.  

Travis ran a hand across Wes’ head, smoothing the wet hair back from his pale forehead.  “And so your only conclusion was that I was coming to end it?  Never occurred to your insufferable self that maybe I was coming to apologize?  Beg you to take me back?” 

He was still smiling so maybe he wasn’t angry, but Wes wasn’t sure if he could trust his own judgement right then.  Terrified that Travis was about to end the most important connection he’d ever had, Wes had to be cautious.  “Are you though?  Here to… take me back?”

“No,” Travis said, brushing a raindrop or maybe a teardrop off Wes’ cheek.  “I’m here to ask you to take me back, not the other way around.”

Wes blinked.  He could honestly say he’d never even considered that option as being viable.  “But why?”

Tilting his head to the side, Travis studied Wes for what felt like forever.  “Because I finally convinced myself that, no matter how scary all of this is –”

“This,” Wes asked.  “What do you mean by ‘this’?”

“This,” Travis said, “meaning this relationship – this committed relationship – is worth it.  Even though commitment isn’t something I’ve ever truly done whole heartedly before, it’s worth trying.  It’s more than a little frightening, you know?  And that’s why I bolted on you like I did.  I owe you an apology for being such a jerk.”

“No,” Wes said, shaking his head sharply.  “You’re not a jerk and you don’t owe me anything.  Well, maybe outside of a hug.”  He spread his arms wide and wiggled his fingers.  “It’s now or never, buddy,” he said, mimicking Travis’ usual teasing banter. 

“Well then,” Travis grinned, stepping forward, “I guess I ought to get it while the getting’s good.”

Wes’ heart thudded as Travis moved nearer and as soon as he was close enough, Wes enfolded his partner in his arms.  Travis returned the favor, sliding his arms around Wes’ middle and pulled him close.  Leaning his head against Travis’ chest, Wes inhaled deeply, taking in all that he had missed in the weeks they’d been apart.  From the warmth of Travis’ skin, the smell of his hair, to the strength in his arms and everything in-between, Wes had missed every last bit of it, of them.  Sighing, he let go of all his anxieties, all his fears, and relaxed into the embrace. 

Travis’ fingers teased the skin just above Wes’ sweatpants, causing the blond to arch forward.  Chuckling, Travis kissed the side of Wes’ face.  “You were right about one thing, baby.”

“Mmm,” Wes murmured.  “What’s that?”

“It is way too early to be out of bed,” Travis said.  “What do you say we go crawl under the covers for a couple more hours?”

Pulling back enough that he could look up into Travis’ eyes, Wes said, “I think that you’ve had your first good idea, Marks.”

“First time for everything,” Travis said, releasing his grip on Wes.  Holding out a hand, he grinned.  “C’mon, let’s go get comfy.  I can’t tell you the last time I slept – really slept.”

He took Travis’ outstretched hand and led them back towards the bedroom.  “I can tell you the last time I had a good night’s sleep.  It was the last time we were here, together.”

Travis’ smile was a little sad.  “Yeah, I’m thinking that was my last decent sleep, too.”

“Then it’s way past time we both catch a few solid winks,” Wes said, tugging on Travis’ arm.  He was relatively certain that neither would get any sleep before they were due back at the station, but Wes wasn’t all too concerned.  He could sleep when he was dead, right? 

Travis slipped off his shoes and tumbled onto the mattress like he always did.  He patted the mattress and Wes smiled.  Yeah, neither of them was going to get any rest this morning, but how was that a bad thing?  Sliding into his side of the bed, Wes held out his arms and allowed Travis to snuggle into him for a change.  Nothing had ever felt as good as he did in that moment.  Peaceful, calm, and loved.

 

_If they ask about you, I've got nothing to say_

_I'll save it for a rainy day_

**Author's Note:**

> Approximately 2/3 of this was written when I was battling day two of the headache from hell. So, hopefully this makes sense. Beginning and end lyrics from Kenny Chesney’s "Save It for a Rainy Day".


End file.
